Israeli authorities are investigating the alleged smuggling of goods over the border into Gaza, days after The National revealed vast sums of money are being paid by Palestinians to buy critical supplies on which Israel has imposed heavy import restrictions.
Ashqelon Magistrate’s Court partially lifted a gagging order on the inquiry on Tuesday, allowing its existence to be made public for the first time. Police said in a statement after the hearing that “many individuals" were involved. Broadcaster Channel 12 said the case “is expected to cause a big stir”.
The case highlights Israel's controversial policy on allowing essential supplies into Gaza since the outbreak of the war there in October 2023. The government has been accused of weaponising aid and impeding the work of humanitarian organisations in the Palestinian enclave. Israel denies this and accuses aid groups of inefficiency and Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas, of looting supplies intended for civilians.
In mid-January, The National reported that an opaque operation to bring so-called dual use items into the strip was generating millions of dollars on the black market. Israel demands special approval for the import of such items on the grounds they could be used for military purposes, a requirement that aid agencies say has led to shortages of vital equipment such as generators, solar panels and shelter materials.
The vast markups on these goods, a result of little understood “co-ordination fees”, are pricing the majority of civilians out of life-saving equipment, raising alarm among international officials working on reconstruction, said diplomatic and humanitarian source.
Cogat, the unit of Israel’s military that controls access to Gaza, did not respond to a request for comment on whether the court case relates to The National’s findings. At the time of the investigation, a Cogat representative said: “In order to prevent the infiltration of terrorist elements into the aid entry mechanism, a new mechanism for the entry of goods via the private sector in Gaza will be implemented in a gradual and controlled manner.”
Testimony gathered by The National revealed lorries with Israeli number plates were entering Gaza carrying restricted items in a process co-ordinated with the Israeli military that cost a small number of Israeli-approved Gazan importers millions of dollars per shipment in “co-ordination fees”.
“The trucks enter Gaza through military co-ordination with the Israeli side and are not subject to inspection [at Israeli crossings],” an employee of a major Gaza importer told The National. “As far as I know, the co-ordination fees are paid to a group of Israeli army officers and others in the Israeli security apparatus.”
All sources The National spoke to about these shipments of dual-use products said the lorries were not inspected at border points and remain closed throughout their passage, with only a quick change of drivers at the frontier.
